EU Restrictions Against ZMDC May be Eased Soon

The European Union's (EU) Foreign Affairs Council voted to ease some restrictions on Zimbabwe ahead of its constitutional referendum vote in March. EU sanctions are reviewed annually and this year Belgium lobbied to strike the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC) from EU trade restrictions; however, that was not approved just yet but is pending the country's transparent presidential elections, which are tentatively planned for July.

Nonetheless, U.S. sanctions remain in place for the ZMDC, along with on the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe, Mbada Diamonds, Marange Resources and its Block Wood Mining company, and numerous individuals in the ruling party, some of whom the U.S. State Department determined to have ties to diamond-mining firms. The full list is here:http://www.treasury.gov/ofac